Creating your little art gallery at home is not an unattainable dream anymore. Whatever you like photography, illustration or watercolour – let us teach you how to buy incredible art without a big budget.
Buying art is still perceived as an elitist activity and the art world as one designed to be only penetrable by the rich. I don’t remember any of my friends ever telling me “ I bought this fabulous oil painting from this or that”. Instead, we send each other cool print sites, we ask our graphic designer friends to make us something – I am very guilty of the latter – or we just resign to the idea that an Ikea print is all we will ever be able to afford. In reality, that’s no longer true. Affordable art is now more available than ever, but artists still struggle to sell their work because the stigma of art being unattainable and overly expensive is still very much embedded in our brain.
Art is not the priority when one is struggling with money, but it shouldn’t be entirely off the list of things the majority of people can afford. There are many ways to buy art without breaking the bank; here is a list of our favourite options.
Use Instagram for research
There are so many talented people in the world, and now, thanks to social media, they are incredibly easy to find. If you are hunting for an original drawing or illustration, you can search for new talents or established artists on Instagram. Most of them have a shop which you can just purchase their prints off of, and any of them would probably be happy to get a commission for original artwork.
This option also includes photography – if you love a photographer and you would like to purchase a print from them, chances are that you very easily can. The price may vary depending on their fame, the kind of work they do and their location, but it’s almost impossible not to find an artist that you both like and you can afford. You will be purchasing an original piece of art that is what you wanted, and you will be helping an independent artist out. It’s a win-win.
Invest in an affordable first piece
Finding affordable art is possible. Partnership Editions is a brilliant concept that makes investing in art very easy. Their mission is to make collecting art something achievable for anyone. They collaborate with some of today’s most exciting and talented emerging artists to bring art in more homes as possible. The art available goes from oil paintings to drawings and some of the artists included in the selection are Venetia Berry and Laurie Maun. Another website that follows the same path is The Artling – they sell everything, from paintings to sculptures, but it’s a bit more pricey thank Partnership Editions.
Try your luck at an art auction
The word auction can be a bit scary but bidding on art is a great way to bring home some real treasures. There are many types of auction houses for almost anything you might be wanting to buy – from houses to jewellery or even cars – and also for any wallet. Of course, if you don’t have a big budget, you should avoid high-end auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby, but you can try your luck on websites like Artsy and Artnet that have a fantastic selection of art for any budget.
Dig deep in charity shops
Charity shops are a constant surprise and, if you know what you are searching for, you can also find great pieces of affordable art. Not all charity shops are the same though, so you might have to be patient and do your research. A great idea could be to visit charity shops when on holiday and try to score a piece from a local artist. Some countries, like France, for example, have incredibly big charity shops further away from the city centre where you can find anything from an antique porcelain tea set to a first edition book.
Support the street artists
Art that is sold on the street is often overlooked, but the place where the art is showcased shouldn’t be more important than the piece of art in itself. Artists showcase their work on the streets in a lot of cities just as musicians do. Next time you are in a big city, try to look for the art district and you will probably find some great, original and affordable art to take home with you.
Lead image: Pauline Loroy
